Islamabad-The vendors have again set up their stalls at service road Mandi Morr, thanks to lenient view of the concerned authorities at the Capital Development Authority.
The enforcement directorate of the CDA had, in an operation, on Friday removed the stalls that were set up along service road at Mandi Morr. However, the vendors, without wasting a day, again set up stalls and started business activities.
There are over 400 vendors who deal in fruits, garments, vegetables and even plastic toys at the Mandi Morr causing great nuisance for the road-users, but the authorities seem oblivious of the situation. The main fruit market has now expanded up to the Mandi Morr area in Sector I-11 along the IJ Principal road but hardly anyone from the CDA seems willing to show seriousness on the issue.
The closure of Faqeer Aipi road for construction, has multiplied the miseries of the road-users as heavy traffic is being diverted from carriage factory towards the service road. The bus terminals on the service road also cause nuisance for general public and passersby.
According to a survey, there is no mechanism to stop the vendors encroaching upon state land and start business activities despite the fact that permanent staff of the CDA is deputed for the purpose.
“The operation is just an eye wash… whenever social and moral pressure increases on the authorities, they would just conduct the operation and nobody is serious in curbing the business activities there,” said an official at the CDA on condition of anonymity. He alleged that the CDA staff responsible for curbing encroachments receives heavy bribes from the vendors.
With the introduction of local government system in the capital city, the action against encroachments has gone slow. The number of raids by the anti-encroachment teams has considerably gone down since the elected representatives took charge of the city. The anti-encroachment campaign is proving to be a futile exercise, as it brings no change on ground. The scene at Mandi Morr is, at least, the same that was hours before the CDA operation on Friday.